Fire at Steam Plant, TVA Goofs Again

Authorities are on the scene of what has been described as an explosion and fire at the John Sevier Fossil Plant in Rogersville.

According to firefighters at the scene, the fire is in the basement of the plant.

All of the plant's employees have been accounted for, according to the firefighrtes.As of 4 p.m., there are reports of two persons with injuries, according to emergency radio transmissions. That could not immediately be confirmed.

A TVA spokesman said the plants No. 4 unit has been taken offline. He said he could not confirm the reports of an explosion.

Area volunteer fire departments have been asked to stage in the area, but not to go to the plant.

TVA's John Sevier facility is powered by four coal-fired units that heat water in a boiler to produce steam, according to the agency's Web site .
All four units use a blend of low-sulfur coal.

The steam, under extreme high pressure, flows into a turbine that spins a generator to make electricity.

John Sevier generates five billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply 350,000 homes, according to TVA.

John Sevier is TVAs easternmost power plant and anchors the eastern end of the utility's transmission system.

The plant, built in the 1950s, consumes about 5,700 tons of coal a day.
According to a Holston Electric Co-Op spokesman, the situation at the plant has not caused any power outages as of 3 p.m.